Legacy of Kain: Balance
by Julia Audron
Summary: Immediately after the events of Defiance, Kain must come to terms with his role as Scion of Balance. He has a lot more questions to ask, and won't let any of them go unanswered: only then will he let his story end. This ending focuses on reconciling Kain's story with the Blood Omen epigraph and the events of Blood Omen 2. Reviews and questions are welcome!
1. Hope is more than an illusion

The Vampire Citadel fell silent. The second the pillars shattered, the feral humans hid in shock, terrified: nobody could have predicted the collapse of the pillars. Kain wandered the remains of the abandoned Citadel quietly, his mind completely silent. For the first time in forever he felt defeated.

What was he to do? Raziel's sacrifice had given him a glimpse of hope but he couldn't force himself to believe in it, not completely. He knew he was reaching the end of his story, he could not escape his fate to restore balance. But how?

The thought had haunted him for centuries. Not a single day passed without Kain wondering about his fate. He had to refuse the sacrifice to set the healing of Nosgoth in motion, no matter how selfish his choice had been back then. His actions were a pure display of arrogance. His vampiric nature was corrupted, his whole existence a mistake of nature. But he had no idea at the time, nor did he care.

As the centuries passed he gained an understanding he didn't have before. He had to make those choices, otherwise Raziel could never have fulfilled his destiny. Was he to sacrifice himself, just like his most faithful lieutenant? He had unanswered questions, and no one left to answer them.

As he wandered through the Citadel he resolved to once again visit the Sarafan Stronghold. Whatever destiny had in store for him, it wasn't in this now useless Citadel, and more importantly, it wasn't in this age. Surely Moebius had a spare time-streaming chamber for him to use. Not that Moebius could complain.

It didn't take long for Kain to go back to the Stronghold. They were short of guards: the time streamer had disappeared and most of the Sarafan army was scattered across the land, searching for their master like the loyal dogs they were. In any case, the few guards left at the Stronghold were no match for the Reaver.

"I have wandered these revolting halls more than I care about" he thought as he kicked a door open "perhaps even more than the Sarafan themselves."

Beyond the door were the caves where Moebius worked his magic. Shortly after entering he found a time-streaming chamber. Luckily its destination wasn't fixed, and he could operate it at will. He put his hands on the commands without hesitation and left for the future.

"At last" he let his voice echo in the chamber "This age has nothing more to offer me. I never wish to see it again."

He was glad to leave this age: every second in it reminded him of his corrupted empire and his long-gone youth. He had more regrets than he cared to admit. For just a couple of seconds, he let himself feel relief as time shift around the chamber.

Once the shift was complete, he went outside. To his pleasure, the Sarafan Stronghold was almost completely destroyed. Half of it was in flames, most of it ravaged. You could hear screams. Mutilated Sarafan corpses were scattered everywhere, and fledgling vampires ran in the halls looking for easy prey. He had indeed come the right age: it had only been some years after he defeated the Hylden Lord in his youth. In this age, humans were nothing more than cattle. His old empire was on the rise, but the vampires still disorganized.

But that was not what he came for. He left the Stronghold for good. He had a plan.


	2. A new alliance, an unresolved conflict

With Raziel's material form gone, Kain knew he needed more allies. There was only one vampire able to help him, and it wasn't going to be easy. Just outside the time-streaming chamber, Kain shifted into his bat form. He headed for the black forest, looking for Vorador's mansion.

He landed on a balcony and made his way to the main hall. To his surprise, Vorador had not repaired his mansion, suggesting he had no desire to rebuild his former life. Some sections were completely destroyed, the floor and carpeting soaked by the rain. The roof was broken, the statues shattered. No vampire would want to set foot in this place. Perhaps Vorador's intention was to isolate himself.

Kain walked through the huge hall until he found a glass window, and there he was. Vorador barely acknowledged his presence. He was sitting on a chair, staring at the night sky.

"Vorador!" Kain thundered in a demanding tone.

"How dare you speak to me?" Vorador muttered in a low voice, his upper lip curled in disgust.

"You disappeared after you defeated the Hylden Lord, is your empire more important than your most powerful allies, Kain?"

He rose from his chair. "You never bothered to explain your erroneous actions, and what's worse, you haven't showed your face in years! Do you dread the consequences so much? Or perhaps, are you simply too proud to admit your mistakes?"

Vorador turned his body to face his guest. He looked livid.

"What happened to your body? Did you fall into the ocean?" Vorador smirked, momentarily distracted by Kain's appearance.

"I need your help, Vorador. I know I have done you wrong, but you must be on my side."

"And why is that? How dare you even ask me to help you after what you've done!"

"Vorador..." he insisted.

"SILENCE!" Vorador screamed, angrier than ever. He had savored this moment for a long time. "Your arrogance is unbelievable. You demand people to help you and expect obedience in return! The world must always bow to the great Kain, savior of Nosgoth! But who will save us from you, I wonder..." He stopped for a minute.

Kain didn't reply, not just yet. He knew it was best to let Vorador speak this time. He had this speech coming for a long time.

But Vorador suddenly changed his voice to a mournful tone. "How could you? Umah..."

He sat back in his chair, wordless. He was devastated at the loss of his progeny. And even worse, shortly before the Hylden gate was destroyed, he felt his maker's presence disappear from Nosgoth. He teleported himself back to safety at the time, but these days, he was truly alone.

"Vorador... I am sorry." Kain said in the most neutral voice he could do.

Vorador raised his head, somewhat confused. It was not like Kain to apologize, so he looked him straight in the eye as he spoke.

"I have made mistakes in my youth. I shouldn't have killed your progeny, I let my anger and pride get the best of me. Umah's mutiny was understandable and I could have spared her life. But Vorador... I didn't have a choice. This is how fate intended things to go."

Vorador sighed, resigned. "You sound like my sire. What happened to you?"

"I have lived for thousands of years. I built the empire I longed for. I have seen it flourish, I have seen it decay. I have seen it succumb to corruption and devolve into monstrosities you could never imagine..."

Vorador's eyes widened in shock.

"But I am back. I am here to restore balance to Nosgoth, and I need your help. Or at least, your alliance."

Vorador spoke back, calmer than before. "The years have changed you, Kain. You don't deserve it, but I will give you another chance. I'm afraid you overestimate my power, though. The Cabal is no more, the vampires are scattered across Nosgoth and a younger version of you is trying to rule them. But you know this already, don't you?"

"I remember it all."

"Very well then. Let me know how I can help you. I have nothing else to lose in this life, I might as well welcome balance."

"The years have changed you as well, my friend." His tone became gentler. "Vorador..."

"Yes?"

"It was Umah and the old Cabal members who brought you back to life after Moebius' crusade, was it not?"

"... yes. They used an ancient vampiric spell. I had retrieved scrolls and books from the Aerie after Janos Audron's death and kept them in my library. They were only human but they were on our side, they worked hard to make the magic work, and eventually it did. I rewarded them with the Dark Gift for their actions. But now, all of my progeny is dead, and Janos missing..."

"About that..."

"What?"

"Show me what you found in the Aerie. I have a lot to tell you."

They both left for the library.


	3. Forgiveness must be earned

The two vampires spoke long and with detail of everything that had happened since their last meeting. Vorador could not believe anything Kain said at first, but eventually, his skepticism made way for faith. Something in his voice made Vorador want to trust Kain: he was different than he remembered, his arrogance was undoubtedly still there, but time had made him wiser. The tone in his voice reminded him of the way the ancient vampires spoke to him once. But that was another story, another life, something he could barely remember.

Kain was more concerned with the state of Nosgoth than Vorador was. He kept asking him if anything had changed, and unsurprisingly, it had. The Hylden menace had not stopped plaguing Nosgoth after the demise of the Hylden Lord. There were sights all over Nosgoth of weaker Hylden and small demons. To Vorador's knowledge there was not yet an organized threat from their enemy race, nor rumors of wars between vampires and other enemies. The humans were quiet and scared, the Hylden too weak to attack. But for how long?

This was indeed an age of pure chaos, no matter what side you were on.

When their discussions were over, they decided what their next course of action should be. Now that Vorador knew where his sire was, he demanded they attempt to rescue him from the demon realm. Kain didn't argue: he needed more knowledge than he had, and that was something only Janos Audron could provide.

And so he departed for Meridian the next day. Vorador stayed in his mansion, as he was of no use in this mission. Only Kain could enter the demon realm and make it out alive. As he traveled through Nosgoth he realized that something was different from his memories: his and Raziel's defiance at the Elder God changed something. The Hylden were somehow stronger. There were small tears all over the land, imperceptible to the human eye. Perhaps even to the eyes of a vampire. But Kain was no ordinary vampire: the hole where Janos Audron's heart once was made him a strange creature, even for Nosgoth.

These cracks were numerous, but small. As the binding of the Pillars decayed, the Hylden were slowly freeing themselves from their banishment. They would eventually grow stronger, and when the time came, they would attempt to kill Kain. He knew this of course, so he made sure to slaughter every fledgling Hylden crawling out of the demon realm as he traveled. He was ready for war.

Once he reached Meridian, he walked as close as he could to the shore. The Great Southern Sea, were the Hylden City and their Gate once was, had left traces of demonic activity in the land. Even if he closed the Hylden Gate in the past, his defiance had reactivated some strange magic in the land. The cracks became larger the closer he got to the sea, and eventually he stopped on a dock.

A particularly large crack was there, waiting for him. He hesitated only for a second, and then walked straight inside the demon realm.

He had been there before, but never like this. The dimension took and twisted the shape of the sea, everything underwater seemed on fire: it was any vampire's idea of hell. Hylden and demons of all sizes chased him as he walked on the bottom of the red sea floor. The smallest, more energetic creatures were the first to attack him in their arrogance. They were no match for Kain's strength: the Soul Reaver, now united in both spirit and body, was more powerful than ever. Fighting alongside Raziel again filled Kain with nostalgia, and a hint of joy he barely let himself experience.

As he walked through the warped, red dimension, he encountered bigger and stronger enemies. He left a trail of corpses behind him as a clear warning. The Reaver guided Kain to the vampire he was looking for, and it wasn't long before he heard a familiar voice.

Sheltered between two enormous rocks, Janos Audron kept to himself and sat on the ground, his wings coiled around his weakened body. He was humming an unusual melody in a tired, monotonous voice. He was only focused on pronouncing the words correctly, in an ancient tongue Kain could not understand. A spherical white barrier of energy seemed to keep all intruders from getting close to Janos: he was injured and unable to fight after years of imprisonment, and the only thing he could do was cast a spell to keep himself alive.

Kain walked as close to Janos as the spell allowed him to.

"Janos Audron? Is this you?"

No answer. His humming grew more powerful.

"Janos, let me in! I am Kain, you must remember me. We fought together, and I am here to rescue you!"

Janos kept humming, but raised his head. He was looking directly at Kain's face. Kain looked back, and he noticed how injured the ancient vampire was. His whole body was covered with bruises and lacerations. His blood had stained what little had remained of his clothing. He couldn't move one of his legs, and his wings had lost a lot of feathers. His body was weaker than ever, not yet devolved, but it was clearly heading in that direction.

"Janos!" Kain shouted and wielded the Reaver. He raised the sword and was ready to strike the magic barrier in an attempt to break the spell. But when the ancient vampire saw the blade, his eyebrows raised. His mouth remained open but his humming ceased.

As soon as silence took over, the spell disappeared and Kain rushed to help Janos.

"Kain... You must save yourself, get out of here! You still have the strength to find a way out! You have to fulfill your dutiful role as Scion of Balance and..." he coughed and blacked out for a second, exhausted. He had not fed in years, his body could not sustain his anxious feelings at the sight of Kain and the Reaver.

"I know what I must do, Janos. I need your help. Besides, I owe you a favor. You helped me defeat the Hylden Lord, it's time for me to repay your..." Kain stopped mid sentence. Janos's strength had left him. He fainted on the spot, too weak to follow Kain's words. Janos might not have lasted another month in the demon realm.

And so Kain rescued the weakened Ancient. He carried his body out of the demon realm and fought every single enemy who dared oppose him. The trail of corpses he left behind scared most of them off like wild beasts, and he was quickly back to the dock of Meridian.

Once he was out, he shifted to his wolf form to travel. He carried Janos Audron on his back and took refuge, once again, in Vorador's mansion.

It was only the sight of his maker that made Vorador truly forgive Kain for Umah's death.


	4. Journey to the past

Two days had passed since Janos Audron's rescue. It took him longer than usual to go back to his usual self: his actions on the Hylden Gate had been too impulsive. He was no match for the Hylden Lord, not in his condition, but his emotions had brought him to do something he would have never done under normal circumstances. He felt slightly embarrassed by his oversight, but hate was too strong an emotion, even for him. Janos spent the first day resting in a comfortable room, awoken only by Vorador mending his wounds and feeding him. His strength rapidly came back, even his feathers grew back, stronger and faster than before.

Janos's mind hadn't suffered much from his imprisonment. He was eager to help Kain, but Vorador wouldn't let him out of his room before his body was completely healed and properly clothed. When the sun set on the second day, Janos finally had his progeny's approval to stand on his two feet and held a meeting with the younger vampires.

"I cannot thank you both enough."

He spoke with a kind, paternal voice to the two other vampires, whom he considered his children. "The horrors of the demonic dimension would drive anyone mad. Had it not been for you, Kain, I would have lost myself."

Kain nodded and kept listening. He was not used to tone of Janos's voice, but the Reaver emanated a warm, blue glow in Janos's presence.

"I see Raziel has fulfilled his destiny." Janos let out a coy smile. "Does this give you hope, my child?"

No-one had ever called him that. Kain was intrigued by Janos's words, but at the same time, he found his tone too affectionate for his ears.

"What choice do I have? I must keep fighting. Raziel's sacrifice set events in motion that only I can resolve." he replied with a hint of bitterness.

"I understand. The ancient prophecies spoke of the Scion of Balance and the savior of the Vampire race, but none of us, no matter how knowledgeable, could predict the details of their manifestation." His gaze was low as he spoke. He wished he could have been of more help to Raziel, but fate had not allowed him to do so.

"Kain" he said in a more resolute tone "You want answers, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Kain growled back.

"I know where to get them. Vorador, you must come with us as well. I will need your assistance."

Vorador nodded. He could not say no to his maker. Janos touched both of the vampires on their shoulders and closed his eyes to cast a spell. The three of them disappeared from the mansion and teleported away.

"What is this place?" "Where have you brought us, sire?" the younger vampires spoke.

"My children, this place has been forgotten for millennia. It is forbidden for us to set foot on this soil, but we have no choice. Follow me."

Janos had teleported them to the entrance of a strange temple concealed by the surrounding mountains. There were no paths leading up or down: this place was clearly unreachable by non-winged beings.

"What you call in this age the Lake of Tears, to the west of the Pillars, hosts the Vampire Citadel. The waters of the lake have been used by the ancient vampires since the beginning of time for our magical needs. As a result, the lake is extremely charged and more powerful than it seems. This is why the Citadel is safe in the lake, shrouded by magical mists empowered by this water. If you dare walk to the edge of the temple and look down, you will see the lake."

"What's so important about this temple?" Kain asked, impatient as usual, dreading an history lesson. Janos turned to face him, and understood his hurry.

"Long before the religious wars between the Ancients and the Hylden, our race prospered in this land. We shared Nosgoth peacefully with the humans, who lived their lives differently from ours. We were worshiped by some, but feared by no-one. We soared the sky as they roamed the earth."

Both Kain and Vorador were tempted to sit down, but ultimately decided not to. They kept listening.

"As you already know, we were a race of faith. Religion was tremendously important to our culture, and when the Hylden curse denied us our God, my people were driven to madness-"

"I have news about your God, Janos" Kain interrupted him, harshly "The wheel of fate is moved by non other than a false divinity! You have worshiped a parasitic demonic creature all along-"

"Nonsense" Janos snapped back, irritated. "I have no doubts you have seen strange things Kain, but my people were right in their worship. Our magic worked, our prayers were answered, our prophecies were correct. Our faith was strong."

"You were all wrong, and I can show you. You have to trust me!"

"Not now, Kain. We have more urgent matters at hand." This was not a conversation Janos cared about, not now. He turned his back on Kain, and gazed the temple in front of him instead. "This temple was built by our religious leaders. Only a select few knew of this building's existence, not even the other Guardians of the Pillars were aware of it. I have never set foot in this place, as it was forbidden by my elders. But now, it is time for us to do some research."

"What are we looking for?" asked Vorador, intrigued.

"Everything we know about our religion, our race's past, was preserved in this place. The most religious of us dedicated their lives to enrich the libraries in this temple. The amount of knowledge in this place is invaluable, and only the mountains and our protective spells have kept the Sarafan from destroying it all."

Janos opened the door to the temple with a short spell in his ancient tongue, and they all entered. Kain was strangely silent, intrigued by the architecture of the temple. It was not wide in size, but terribly high. Numerous sheets of papers and large amounts of books were piled up everywhere, but a terrible sight lay there beside the door. Two winged skeletons were on the ground, each with a sword stuck in their broken ribs. Janos stared at them for a second, then walked to their remains. The other two vampires only noticed the skeletons when their elder started talking in a mournful voice.

"They were the first to go. The stronger their faith was, the harder the curse was for them to deal with" he said as he got down on one knee, and gently removed the weapons from their bones. "May they have peace."

Janosallowed sadness into his heart for a minute. He then walked to the center of the temple and started looking around. As he inspected his surroundings, Kain grew impatient.

"So what are we doing here, Janos?"

"Vorador and I will stay here and research these ancient texts. We must look for information concerning the Hylden and the Scion of Balance. And since you have your doubts, we will research the beginnings of our faith. Kain, you have a choice now: either help us, or go further our cause some other way."

"I'm afraid I am of no use here. I will go back to land and see if the Hylden threat has gotten worse. My presence in this age surely has had its consequences, already..."

"Indeed" Janos murmured, distracted by a book he had already started reading. His faith was never the strongest, even among his kind, but he had always dreamed of reading the many texts in this temple. Perhaps the forbidden nature of this place made his curiosity stronger, but no-one was left to complain. "The Ancients have committed worse crimes than this," Janos reasoned in his head to justify his actions.

Kain stared at his elder. He had never seen him so immersed in anything, and decided to postpone their interrupted conversation.

"Do not leave this place. Vorador, keep Janos safe. I will be back soon" he announced as he shifted into his bat form and left the temple.


	5. Knowledge comes at high a cost

Kain had never been one for books. Wisdom came to him slowly as he experienced life, and reading was sometimes required, undoubtedly, but it was never his favorite activity. He was not as excited as Janos about the temple, and more importantly, he was annoyed at his avoidance for conversation. Kain had seen the Elder God: Raziel's sacrifice allowed him to see the divinity wars had been fought for, and the revelation was not a pleasant one. How would Janos react to the sight of the Elder God? But no matter how curious Kain was, he could not bear to force the revelation upon him so suddenly. He let it go for now and set off the explore Nosgoth.

And explore he did. He flew over the Lake of Tears and went north east, following the stream of water over the land. He gazed upon Nupraptor's Retreat, the immense skull overshadowing the city of Vasserbunde. The many memories of his youth overwhelmed him: his initial quest to kill the human Guardians of the Pillars, Ariel's guidance and her convenient hiding of his role as Balance Guardian. How could she expect him to sacrifice his life so suddenly? If anything, it made him want to do the opposite. And even if he had accepted the sacrifice, would it really have made a difference? Was Ariel impatient in her despair, and ignorant of the real forces at work in Nosgoth? But her torment had ended, her soul was cleansed, her journey had ended. What about his?

Kain felt compelled to land on the edge of the Lake of the Dead, the place where his metaphorical coin started turning so long ago. He had become accustomed to this place in the past, it reminded him of simpler times: this lake was where he could easily and cruelly dispose of any problem he had. It was curious that it also represented the end of his self-proclaimed godliness, and now reminded him of his own mortality. When Raziel was cast in the lake, he knew he would have to come to terms with it. But acceptance was still a long way from him.

He sit on a rock by the edge of the lake, pondering on what his next move should be. He held the Reaver in his hands, and for a second he let his face make a smug half-smile. "Don't be scared, I'm not tossing you in again." He amused himself for a second. But his lips turned serious again shortly after: the earth below him started shaking, the waters of the lake began moving, and he stood immediately on his feet.

Kain's presence in this age, as he suspected, had only made things worse. Wherever he went, corruption and damnation would follow. He was an intruder, he was the only pawn left in a game that still wouldn't end. As he flew over the land earlier, he noticed more cracks in the world than before; the same weaker Hylden and demonic creatures he had battled when he rescued Janos Audron were slowly getting out of the Demon Realm. The human cities were under attack, whole forests were falling down. Animals, humans, and vampires, they all screamed alike. The number of fledglings was on the rise all over Nosgoth, but that was their only strength; meanwhile, humans had no power left to fight whatever enemy was attacking them this time.

Kain grew impatient. "Show yourself, demonic creature! Face me!" He wielded the Reaver as he shouted over the lake. "We haven't settled our dispute yet!"

The lake started shaking even more violently, and then suddenly the water level plummeted as the earth below split. A satisfied, low-pitched groan could be heard from the cracks, and slowly, green tentacles emerged from the lake. Kain stared in silence, studying their movements.

"I was looking for you." the voice from the depths spoke calmly.

" Have you followed me to this age just for the sake of haunting me? Or do you have a plan this time? I find that hard to believe, all your servants are dead. You cannot defeat us!" Kain's grip on the Reaver hardened as he held it high in triumph, mocking the Elder God.

An eye emerged on the floor of the lake were the water had receded, close to where Kain was standing.

"Oh Kain, ever the grandiose vampire." He spit out these words with clear disgust. "Your pretentious attitude has brought nothing but damnation to the world. Killing you would be a pleasure indeed, and a relief to many. But no, I do not have any intention to kill you."

"As if you knew how. You plot incessantly below the ground, like the devious worm you are, but in the end you don't have any real power. Your only weapon is the gullibility of your weak servants."

"You do not want to see my powers, Kain. Renounce this futile quest for knowledge and you never will. That precious sword of yours will never be able to defeat me." His voice grew angrier, but it was still composed.

"I seem to recall the opposite." Kain snapped back to him as he brandished the Reaver closer to the exposed eye. "Show your whole self and fight me, you cowardly God!"

"Younger vampires have no manners. Everything must always be about murder, blood, violence. Accept me as your God, as your vampire ancestors once did, and you will never have to worry again. Be my faithful servant, as your lieutenant Raziel was. Serve me and all of this will end smoothly. Accept me into your soul, Kain. We can be allies..." His tone became gentler, and a smaller tentacle grew closer to Kain.

He did not appreciate that. "Never!" he spoke back as he cut the tentacle with the Reaver. He then tried to slash the eye as well, but powerful magic shielded the huge blue iris and the sword's tip landed on the ground. The Elder God mocked his efforts with a short laugh.

"You fool. I am the engine of the Wheel of Fate, I am above the concepts of life and death! You cannot kill me, for death cannot kill itself!"

"And yet you bleed. You do not fool me, creature! Your nature is not divine, nor is it innate to Nosgoth." Kain recollected himself from his anger.

"Ask your ancestors, Kain. I know you have retrieved Janos Audron from his demise. Even he will tell you how the vampires gladly submitted to me. My existence has been the subject of worship from vampires and humans alike." His tone more grandiose now. "I am divine. I am a God! You will never be as powerful as I am. Join me."

"Are you done with this incessant blather?" Kain's lips curled in disgust. "You have no power to defeat me and no way to manipulate me. You have nothing that I want. Be gone or face me! You hide yourself behind magic I cannot penetrate, but something about me clearly terrifies you. I promise you one thing: one way or another..." Kain looked straight into the eye. "I will destroy you."

"If you will not submit..." The eye slowly shrunk back underground, the tentacles receded back inside the lake and the Elder God's voice became more distant. "I will find another way..." his voice barely audible this time "... to stop you."

The earth trembled again. This time it was not the lake, but the surrounding forest that suffered damage. Trees fell on the ground, earthquakes spread everywhere and open wounds spread all over the land. The tentacles appeared again, this time even higher than the canopy of the collapsing forest.

Kain shifted into his bat form, fearing the earth below his feet would swallow him. He kept his body as high as he could to escape his enemy's grasp.

The God's voice echoed the land below. "Do you see now, what your rebellion brings to Nosgoth? Your arrogance is nothing but destruction! I have no choice but destroy everything you set your filthy claws on. Your messianic delusions bring nothing but unfaithful servants to me, and I have no need for apostates! But you and your allies must return to me one day. I will own you either in life, or in death! Submit or be destroyed!"

Kain knew these were nothing but empty threats. The Elder God could not kill him: his destiny meant he had a precise role to fulfill, and not even the highest divinity in Nosgoth's pantheon could stop him. Let alone an overgrown, sentient squid.

But he could still be tremendously delayed: he knew the Elder God would have easily destroyed the whole world if it meant giving Kain a harder time understanding the role he was cast in by the machinations of fate. His allies were far more important than his pride right now, so he headed back to the temple to warn them.

As he flew he realized the earthquakes had not just shattered the land, but also created bigger rifts and cracks in space. The Demon Realm was collapsing with the material dimension, and stronger demons were crawling out all over Nosgoth. The Hylden rushed out as well, happy to see the failure of the binding: there was no more vampiric magic to keep them banished.

Chaos had followed Kain into this age, and the Elder God was glad to see Nosgoth destroyed if he could not have Kain's soul.


	6. Wounds

Kain landed directly inside the temple. "Janos! Vorador! I have news!" He shouted the minute he shifted back into his vampire form.

"We have a lot of information as well" Vorador said in a calmer tone. Janos lifted his head, but kept a book in his claws. "What happened?" They asked simultaneously.

"We do not have much time. Janos, we must talk."

"Of what, my child?" He put his book on the ground and offered his complete attention to Kain.

"You will not like this, Janos. The God your people worshiped is nothing more than a demon! The Wheel of Fate is controlled by a parasitic, demonic entity who feeds on the souls of the dead and spits them out only so they can feed him again in greater quantity later. It is nothing but a misleading deceit! Immortality has stopped the turning of the Wheel for us, and brought us protection from this creature all along! How could it be a curse?"

"This cannot be..." Janos sat down, confused. Had his people truly been deceived all along? Was everything they believed in false? And what about their prophecies, their magic. Were they wrong in their worship? Who were their prayers directed to? "Kain, are you sure this is what you really saw?" He asked with hint of a nervousness in his voice.

"I am, Janos. Listen to me. Raziel was the only being cast out of the Wheel of Fate for good. He was the only creature to truly possess free will, and this allowed him to see past this parasite's magic. When Raziel chose to enter the sword, his gift was passed on to me. I am still bound by fate, but his sacrifice gave me sight. I can see this creature, and I can guarantee you, it is no God. No matter what he calls himself."

"Raziel..." Janos's eyes were absent for a couple of seconds. "Kain, our prophecies were not entirely wrong. We predicted a savior to the vampire race, and here you are! The sword you bear was part of the prophecy. Raziel's enlightenment was necessary to the process..." Janos stood up, his eyes wide. "Of course!"

Kain looked at this face, wondering what had popped into his head now.

"Kain, Vorador! I understand the prophecy now!"

A loud, rumbling noise noises interrupted Janos.

"What is happening outside?!" Vorador rushed to a window, eager to see.

The Lake of Tears had greatly reduced in size: most of the water had receded to the bowels of the earth, leaving even the Vampire Citadel exposed. There were tentacles emerging from the lake that only Kain could see. They were trying to reach the highest peaks of the mountains where the temple resided, but luckily, failed.

The mountains were slowly crumbling and changing shape. The various demons and Hylden that entered Nosgoth's material dimension were too weak to exercise their own will: it was the Elder God who let the cracks between dimensions widen with his magic, and he ordered his new servants to destroy the three vampires.

"That beast has raised an army, and it's approaching us. He fears me, and is willing to do anything to stop us!" Kain exclaimed.

"There is still hope. I must finish my research!" Janos replied. "We will leave soon and go somewhere safer. It is of paramount importance that we keep studying these texts as long as possible and decide which one to bring with us. Kain, lock the door! Vorador, help me with this tome, will you..."

"I don't think so. I will fight to keep you safe. Make your research swift!" Kain turned his back, Reaver in his hand, and rushed to the door without awaiting approval. Janos didn't question him, unsurprised.

"Sire..." Vorador caught his maker's attention. "I will fight as well. Let us know when you are ready to leave."

"My dearest son, no... I need you here..." There was fear in Janos's eyes, and his child knew exactly why.

"No. I have to fight. I am of no use to you right now. Do not fear for me, sire." Vorador armed himself and rushed to Kain's help, leaving Janos behind.

Vorador would follow his maker to hell and back if necessary, but this time he had no idea what Janos was plotting. The Ancients never shared the full extent of their prophecies with him, and he cared not about them anymore. He had helped Janos as much as he could, but now it was time for him to fight.

Kain was not pleased with Janos's choices and his blatant secrecy, but what else could he do? The Ancient had clearly figured something out, but there was no time to indulge in curiosity. Outside, there was little space to fight in the peak of the mountain. Their enemies came from all directions. Only the winged demons and the strongest Hylden could reach them at first. A few attempted to climb, and the minority that succeeded was quickly struck down by the two vampires.

Kain noticed Vorador was not at the his peak physical condition, and had been hit by their enemies more than he would normally have. "Have you not trained these years, Vorador? You move... too... slow!" He shouted as he hit the biggest and most threatening enemies he could find. "Are you not the same vampire that killed six of the Circle of Nine? Show me your true strength!"

They were fighting back to back in the small area, striking their enemies together.

"Kain..." Vorador said reluctantly. "Human magic is weak."

"What do you mean?" Kain yelled as he cleared his way of his enemies.

"I am weaker than I used to be. This body has suffered too much. I have tried for centuries to strengthen my form, both with magic and other ways, but the damage is done already."

"What?!" Kain shouted as they kept fighting.

"Janos knows, not even he can help me. The humans attempted magic beyond their capabilities to bring me back to life. Their intentions were positive, but they've attached my soul to a body that is simply too weak. I was human to begin with. I do not possess the strength of an Ancient like Janos."

"So, the Cabal..." Kain asked as he regained his breath.

"I was their leader, yes. They suspected my strength had diminished, but nobody dared to find out. I kept it hidden and let my army fight our battles."

A demon grasped Vorador's shoulder, lifting him in mid air. Vorador used all of his strength to pierce him with his sword, and the demon let him go. The sword remained in the creature and he could not reclaim it, so he started fighting with his bare claws.

"Vorador! Go back inside, help Janos! Let me fight here!"

"No, I will not die a coward! I would rather die to protect my maker than hide in my weakness!" He kept fighting.

The enemies increased in numbers. The tentacles could not reach the temple from the bottom of the lake, but they had slowly created a path by violently hitting the mountains. More and more enemies, not just winged creatures, were attacking them now.

It wasn't long until they were outnumbered. Their strength could not match the hordes of enemies hurled at them, and even Kain was starting to have trouble fighting back.

A previously wounded Hylden was lying on the ground, almost unmoving. But it still had enough strength to dig his claws into Vorador's thigh and rip out his muscles.

The vampire screamed in pain, and fell to one knee. He crushed the Hylden's neck and tossed his head away as payback.

"Vorador!" Kain screamed back, concerned. He made his way to his friend and helped him up. "Go back inside if you can walk!"

Vorador could not stand on his two feet, and refused to crawl back inside the temple. Kain was fighting as hard as he could and was almost at his limit, but the sight of Vorador suffering was too much. He decided to retreat. He put Vorador's arm on his shoulders so they could walk to the temple's entrance and rushed back inside. He then blocked the door and started guarding it.

"You should have told me you were in no condition to fight! You could have endangered us all!" Kain yelled. Vorador didn't answer. He was lying on the ground in pain, but it was his pride that kept his mouth shut.

Kain's interest was somewhere else. The enemies were bashing at the door, and their time bitterly short. "Janos, are you done? Have we bought you enough time? We have to go, NOW!"

The Ancient's eyes were slightly swollen and red. He had no intention of shedding tears, but the thought of his progeny dying had worried him. He feared for Vorador's life, and knew his time might be dangerously short. Janos never liked mortality, and the curse had been a relief in this sense.

Janos put the last of his findings inside his robe and held the remaining texts and his notes in his left hand. Without saying a word, he rushed to his children to cast a teleportation spell. The heavy doors burst open right after their disappearance: the horde of enemies destroyed the temple forever, and with it, its secrets.


	7. Conflict and revelation

The vampires reappeared in a spot of the black forest where the Elder God's destruction had not yet spread. Janos immediately tended to Vorador's many wounds, but his body was too weak to recover immediately, they way vampires usually healed. He rested on the ground with his upper body sustained by a tree, Kain and Janos sitting close to him. They decided to rest for as long as they could: they would not be able to hide forever, but for now, it was time to regroup and share their findings. A simple protective spell was cast as precaution, but nobody expected it to make any difference. Kain was the first to break the silence.

"So..." He looked at Janos. "What prophecy were you talking about? What have you made of my words?"

Janos inhaled deeply. He kept the air in his lungs for some seconds and exhaled before letting a word come out of his mouth.

"The Wheel of Fate is not a deceit, Kain." He spoke calmly.

"Have you not heard my words? There is a demon turning it." Kain did not understand the Ancient's point of view.

"The presence of whatever creature you saw does not invalidate our faith. It is a testimony that balance can still be restored." He insisted.

"How so? Are you delusional, Janos? How is worshiping a demon a legitimate, positive form of religion? And more importantly, what does it have to do with balance, with me?" Kain was confused and afraid Janos lost his mind for good this time.

"Life and death do not apply to mortals alone. For a new era to begin, the previous must end. Death is never an easy process, and rarely a painless experience... You should know that."

"Speak plainly, Janos. I have no time for your riddles!" Kain moved his hands in impatience and resisted the need to stand up abruptly.

Janos never liked Kain's arrogance when it came to these matters. His expression suddenly changed to a serious, impervious gaze not even Vorador had seen in a long time.

"Have you ever wondered what restoring balance means, Kain?" Janos asked, demanding his full attention.

"No." He confessed. "All I was ever told is that my sacrifice is inevitable, my death a necessity for this world to flourish again." His voice angrier now. "Do not make a fool of me and explain yourself! I know I must die eventually, but I refuse to if it will all be for nothing! I do not intend to end my life so that humans can take over Nosgoth and erase our kind! How is that balance?"

"It is not. Humanity is corrupt, and so are we all."

"Even your long-dead, winged brethren and their over zealous fanaticism for their monstrous God? How were you different from the Sarafan?" He mocked the Ancient.

"Kain, no..." Janos was concerned, sadness appeared in is eyes for a minute.

"Even you, Janos? Are you corrupt?" Kain's tone was disrespectful on purpose, and clearly expecting a reaction.

"Yes, not even I am spared from corruption. And neither was my kind." Janos said bitterly and looked at him straight in his eyes.

Kain's confusion was now even more evident in his face, he did not know what to think anymore. He wondered if Janos was testing his patience.

"Aeons come and go. Life begins, corrupts, and death arrives for us all. There is no escape from this purifying cycle, there can only be acceptance. Some people are destined to transcend it, though: this is your case, but you must surrender yourself fully to your destiny. Life's immediate reaction is to fight back death, but you are destined to so much more. Only the rest of us have to come to terms with our inevitable mortality."

Janos paused for a second to check on Vorador, who was enjoying the conversation in silence. Kain was listening closely, waiting for Janos to reach his point. He then resumed talking.

"Imagine illness, Kain. It destroys a being from within, slowly and inevitably, no matter what strength they might possess. Let it corrupt the whole world. Let this process take years, centuries, millennia. Aeons come and go, souls cycle endlessly, day after day, lifetime to lifetime. But the purifying process that kept them balanced is no more: it has run its course, and it is slowly letting corrupt, impure beings walk the land. No matter what form they take. There is simply no more balance."

"Then how do you propose I restore it?" Kain asked, surrendering to Janos's reasoning.

"You have bathed Nosgoth in blood, Kain. I'm afraid you don't fully realize the extent of your power. You have inherited our world's ability to balance creation. You possess the power to do or undo us all." Janos's voice was gentler now.

"I know that already, but I can't seem to figure out how I can purify this world. I am the least pure being I can think of." Kain confessed.

"Perhaps. But it does not matter. The weapon you bear has been purified, and you're destined to brandish it. You hold the purest object in this world, and you alone can unleash its full power. All you have to do, is want it."

"Are you saying I secretly don't want to restore balance?" Kain was puzzled and slightly offended at the thought.

"I never said that, but perhaps it is the truth. The idea seems to trouble you."

Kain didn't speak. He clutched the Reaver in his hands and kept his head low. He couldn't help but stare at the eyes of his sword: ever since Raziel's sacrifice they glowed, the blade felt more alive than ever, he could sense its presence. Kain secretly feared the blade's strength had surpassed his.

"Perhaps." He said, without letting the minimal hint of emotion slip from his lips. He suddenly remembered the absence of a beating heart in his body. "And yet, I should be dead." Kain revealed.

Janos's eyes looked back at him with kindness as he spoke firmly.

"Kain. When the times comes, you must accept your role as Scion of Balance fully. I cannot tell you what that means, I am not the one destined to find out. I can only offer you guidance. Have faith: it is your destined role that keeps you alive, even without a beating heart."

Vorador had listened carefully until now but kept his inquiries to himself. His energy was slowly coming back.

"What do you mean, without a heart?" He asked, puzzled.

Nobody rushed to answer.

"Answer me." He grew curious and concerned, so Kain replied.

"It turns out Mortanius did not resurrect me without a blood offering. He used a dead vampire's still beating heart to create me."

"But this can only mean..." Vorador looked at his maker in disbelief. "Janos's heart was inside your chest? You have usurped it all along?!"

"Yes." Kain replied sternly. "I only recently found out."

Vorador clenched his fists in anger for a while and stared at Kain's face, but ultimately gave up to a cynical chuckle.

"You are lucky I am injured, Kain. I want to hurt you for all the trouble you have caused. If only I had known... I would have ripped it out of your chest myself long ago."

Janos interrupted them before this conversation could progress. "It is irrelevant now, my children: my heart has been restored. I must tell you about my findings back at the temple, our time is short."

The other two vampires sat back and put their disagreements aside. It seemed they could never get along completely, even if they were allies.

"I have found several interpretations of our many prophecies left behind by the Ancients in the temple." Janos held the texts he had brought with himself and kept looking at them as he spoke. "Most of them seemed to agree on a particular theory concerning the nature of the Hylden and humanity's rebellion..."

Janos rushed through the pages to find a particular section in his notes.

"Immortality seems like a gift at first, but no being is made to be undying. There is a design all creation follows, where every beginning must also have an ending. This is the Wheel of Fate, and it is undeniable. The same can be said for the Pillars: they are part of something greater that should never be trifled with. They were here long before us, albeit in a different form. Their energy runs through Nosgoth even without physical representation, even unbalanced. The purpose of the Binding was to exploit this power for our purposes."

Janos opened a tome he brought from the temple.

"The Pillars were built so we could use this magic to banish our enemies. We were gravely punished for this heresy, and in the end, it was a desperate measure that only further corrupted Nosgoth. But we had no other choice! We accepted our fate to stop a bloodbath that had plagued us for centuries already. This started long before you, Kain."

"The Hylden, then? What do you make of them?" He asked.

"The Hylden... Nobody knew were they came from, their race was unheard of. I believe they are nothing but a deceptive facade."

"A facade?"

"Yes. A cruel joke. The corruption of the Wheel of Fate by that parasitic creature means that he can contaminate any soul who passes through it, vampires and humans alike. But humanity is weaker to manipulation, their will could never resist the temptation of that demon. They gladly accepted him as their master. But these were dark forces they were submitting to..." Janos brought his hand to his head.

"The humans were not always kind to us, even before the curse. Some were envious of our abilities and sought to conquer our power. They studied our magic from afar, and slowly learned their ways. We were forbidden to teach what we knew to the humans, but they could develop their magical crafts if they had the means to. But humanity is weak, and that foul demon seduced their gullible minds..."

Kain and Vorador listened attentively.

"Black magic plagued this age. The corruption of the human race devolved a minority of them to the race we have always called the Hylden. They reproduced, and eventually developed an intricate facade with the aid of their demonic master. They are nothing but corruption incarnate: they say they have no faith and technically it's true, but their leaders knew they were serving that creature. They are secretly manipulated by the monster they serve, and deny its very existence. They are misguided." Janos stopped for a second.

"What worse is that we were no better." He sighed. "Even my kind, so devoted in our faith, were seduced by that beast. It was not enough to create an enemy for us, he attacked my elders from within. Before the curse we had no choice but go through the Wheel of Fate, and his grasp on us shaped our demise. We did not devolve as the humans did, luckily. You have seen what devolution does to my kind, Kain."

Janos unintentionally closed his arms as he spoke, stroking his upper arm to comfort himself. Kain and Vorador did not notice his gesture, and the second Janos did, he stopped it.

"This is what I believe the priests in the temple found out, but were advised to conceal to the general public. When the curse hit our race, the temple was isolated by magic and slowly forgotten. Some things must stay occult."

"What does this mean for us?" Kain asked.

"It means that the answers you seek, Kain, are simpler than I anticipated. And yet harder to stomach."

The black forest suddenly trembled.

"There you are." A voice growled from within the forest. It was impossible to figure out the direction it came from.

The ground under their feet started moving, the trees falling. They were not safe in the forest anymore.

"Vorador, can you stand on your feet?" Janos asked in a hurry. He could, but walking was still tough.

"Kain! I will take care of Vorador. We must meet back at Pillars, we will be safe there for a short while!"

Kain nodded and shifted into his bat form, Vorador held onto Janos and they took flight together. They all disappeared into the clouds and headed to the Pillars.


	8. The inevitable sacrifice

"This is humiliating." Vorador said to his maker in mid-flight.

"Is it? You are not young anymore, my child. None of us are." Janos replied.

"You've suffered more than I have, and yet your strength does not fade..."

"You remember my people, don't you? Our physical decay is slower compared to humans. You have led a hard life, and your body is suffering the consequences. I can't help but feel responsible. I am sorry."

"Mmph." Vorador was always amazed at Janos's ability to show affection with his words and never break formality. He never knew how to answer, and Janos secretly enjoyed making him uncomfortable.

They landed on the grass nearby the Pillars, and Kain materialized behind them.

"Janos. How are we safe here?"

"There is still some magic left to protect us. We must stay close to the Pillars, this is where the binding has always been the strongest. It will not last much longer, but hopefully, this is where history comes full circle."

Janos could barely finish his last sentence before a powerful earthquake brought all three to their knees. They quickly stood up and rushed to the Pillars. The earthquakes coming from the depths of the planet seemed to shake everything except where the broken Pillars stood. Huge rifts shattered the ground, ripping it into pieces. Vorador was in no condition to fight, and he was leaning on the remains of the Pillar of Balance to stay on his feet.

It wasn't long before the beast showed itself.

"I know where you hide, Kain. It is only a matter of time before I find you, and my patience exceeds yours."

"You cannot destroy the entire world, demon. You don't have the power!" Kain shouted instinctively, not knowing yet where he was.

"Kain? What is happening?" Janos asked, confused, as he helped Vorador.

"The creature we spoke of. He's about to appear before our very eyes. I can show you."

Janos and Vorador could not see or hear the Elder God. Janos approached Kain and put his hands around Kain's grip on the Reaver, touching them both.

A tentacle appeared before the Pillars, slipping through the cracks in the earth. More followed, and quickly surrounded them from all directions. Janos looked at his surroundings horrified by the sight of this beast. Kain was pleased to finally show him the truth, but refrained from making any snide remarks.

"I see you have brought your allies." The Elder God spoke, as several of his eyes emerged from the ground. "You think you are safe here, but for how long I wonder."

A tentacle hit the remains of the outermost Pillars, and Vorador clinged to the Balance Pillar like ivy. Another tentacle tried to hit Kain directly, and was quickly slashed by the Reaver.

Janos had no choice but let go of Kain's hands in that moment, and the Elder God disappeared from his sight and ears.

"I can't believe this... You were truly right, Kain. I recognize the voice, but I never imagined what his body might look like. That creature is nothing but a parasite on the foundations of our world..." Janos retreated slowly in shock to protect Vorador from any further attacks, and Kain kept slashing more and more tentacles.

"I can do this forever, Kain." The limbs of the Elder God emerged furiously from the earth and kept hitting the base of the Pillars. "Who do you think will die first? Your wounded ally? Or the oldest of you three? Will you be swallowed by the rocks below you and crushed beneath the tumbling remains of the Pillars, or will you teleport away again? This magic will not keep you safe for long!"

The tentacles kept trying to reach for Janos and Vorador inside the circle, but Kain promptly slashed them all as they came. Janos hummed a protection spell to protect the area from the beast, even if he could not see its attacks. He had faith in Kain, but would that be enough?

"You are strangely wordless, vampire. Should I take offense at your silence? Or are you finally accepting your nature to submit to the one, true God?" He gloated.

Kain had no intention to answer. It seemed no matter how much he fought, this beast had no core. No beating heart, no center. If he were to the descend to the bowels of Nosgoth, would he find a brain? A heart? Was there a physical way to end this creature who only needed to show his eyes and limbs to instill terror in all of creation? His voice had terrified and manipulated the most gullible for so long, and he didn't even know where his voice came from. How do you defeat corruption itself?

"Do you not understand, Kain? You cannot kill me! As long as you exist, I will try to destroy you! You cannot stop me! All your efforts are fruitless."

It was then that it occurred him.

He refused the sacrifice, long ago. His will to fight was stronger than any other being. He had shed blood all over the world: his whole existence was nothing but fight, hurt, conquer, destroy, rebuild. Rebuild. That word haunted him. He had built an empire and reigned for centuries, but corruption was innate to his actions and self. How could he heal Nosgoth when he himself was the most corrupt being alive? Wasn't he?

"Not anymore." He whispered to himself. "I am not the cancer affecting this land. Not anymore."

Suddenly it hit him: he was not the corrupt one. Ever since Raziel's sacrifice, something awoke inside him, like a limb he had never noticed before. He could see himself in a new light. The wisdom he had gathered in his many years and experiences had reached its zenith, and this was the turning point.

When he refused the sacrifice, he did not just condemn the world: he fed that beast with his existence. The repercussions of his power were unpredictable. The role he was destined to fulfill was bound to have monumental consequences to his every choice.

He had unleashed that demon with his refusal. It made no difference when it happened: the concept of time did not matter to the creature. His limbs coiled around the Wheel of Fate the moment Time required a vase, a vessel to bring forth a shape to the death of this Aeon.

The presence he felt in the Reaver grew more intense, and the light from its glowing eyes spread to the whole blade. He slowly brandished the Reaver high, exposing his chest to the enemy's attacks.

"Kain!" Shouted Janos from the Balance Pillar. "Be careful!"

He did not listen.

The Elder God raised his strongest limb and prepared to strike Kain at full force.

"Are you surrendering, vampire?" He asked, pleased.

No answer. The Elder God was irritated at Kain's silence, and hit him as strong as he could.

The tentacle's strength should have swept him away from his two feet and blown him away from where he was standing, but instead, it didn't hit Kain.

"How is this possible?" The Elder God shouted in distress.

"Kain? What magic is this..." Janos said softly to himself in disbelief, not expecting an answer. He resumed his spell immediately after, but doubted its necessity. Vorador was too shocked to speak. His jaw dropped at the sight of what the weapon he built so long ago could accomplish.

Kain had not moved from where he was. He held the Reaver high above his head, his eyes closed. Slowly his body lifted from the ground and started to float in mid air. A bright light started to run along his spine, illuminating the cavity where his heart once was. It eventually reached his head, and spread to his eye sockets and mouth. The light took over his body, and he could not see or hear anything in the material world.

The limbs of the parasite kept trying to hit him, but it was not possible. Nothing could harm him.

"Kain..." A familiar voice resonated inside the Scion of Balance's mind. "Kain."

"Raziel, you can speak?!" His disbelief was calm, peaceful.

"Briefly. Kain." The voice whispered slowly, gently. "You must surrender."

"Surrender..." Echoed a different voice.

"Abandon your ego. You need not fight, not anymore. Reunite with us all. Let balance be." Raziel spoke.

"Accept your fate. The Reaver will guide you." Ariel continued.

The Reaver suddenly started floating as well, shining right above Kain's head. His arms and legs spread out, and the light radiating from his body grew brighter, blindingly so. Tears were streaming down his face, but he could not feel them. Then, unexpectedly, the light on his back burst out at his sides, giving him the wings he never developed.

"NOOOOO!" The Elder God shouted with all his might, but no one could hear him.

"The Scion of Balance..." Janos fell to his knees. His voice faltered as he spoke. His eyes filled with tears, and so did Vorador's. What they were witnessing was beyond their comprehension.

The Elder God kept shouting without attempting to make sense. The stronger Kain's light shone, the more it weakened him. It burned his body. The limbs slowly lurked back were they came from, until the body of the beast finally turned into dust.

The light emanated by Kain's body kept shining and expanded in all directions. It reached the sky above and earth below.

Then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped. The light ceased suddenly. The Reaver fell to the ground like any ordinary piece of metal. Kain's body ceased to exist as the light disappeared, and there was no material trace left to be seen of him.

Janos stood up slowly, followed by Vorador, whose steps were even slower.

"The curse..." Janos said in complete shock, still in tears. "It has been lifted!"

Vorador said nothing, too incredulous to speak. He limped towards the Reaver and picked it up in his hands. Janos reached him to touch the sword.

"I see nothing. The beast disappeared, and so did Kain... The blade... It is different. I sense no magic in it anymore." Janos said.

"The edge has dulled as well. It's no good for fighting." Vorador added.

All around the Pillars, the earth came back together. There were no more signs of earthquakes or other disasters. The cracks between dimensions had disappeared as well, and all their enemies turned to dust.

The two vampires walked off the base of the Pillars. As they walked, they witnessed something they could never imagine.

Nine powerful columns burst out from below, unexpectedly. They were made of light, each one possessing the color of the respective Pillar. This time, the shape was not that of a half-moon, but a complete circle. Only the Balance Pillar stood in the middle of them all as it did before. The light and power emanated by these new, pure Pillars was unlike anything Janos had seen before. Never in his life had the Pillars been this powerful, this bright, this beautiful.

They were not made of stone anymore, but pure energy.

Balance had been restored.

A new era had just begun.


	9. Epilogue

A vision came to Janos Audron in his sleep as soon as he let his body rest. White light blinded him in his dream, and a familiar voice spoke to him. He could hear Kain and Raziel's voices foretold him the future, united as one. He remembered their words for the rest of his life, and did as he was told.

Shortly after balance was restored, Janos and Vorador traveled patiently throughout Nosgoth to see the state of the world. They discovered that humanity had been almost completely wiped out, just like the Hylden and the demons who had entered the world. The bloodline of the vampires, luckily, was never as fragile as the humans thought. Even in a corrupt age, there are souls called to survive. They passed through the Wheel of Fate several times and witnessed the corruption of this age eat away Nosgoth, but their stars protected them.

There were only two hundred people left. They were born humans, but balance would restore them to a more purified existence. These people wandered until four groups were formed.

The first one reached the highest peaks of Nosgoth's western mountains, where the temple once was. The Pillars of Nature and Death chose their new Guardians here.

The second one chose to inhabit the northern volcanic mountains, where fire was abundant. The Pillars of States and Conflict chose their new Guardians here.

The third one built a city around the cathedral of Avernus, in the eastern region of Nosgoth. The Pillars of Balance and Energy chose their new Guardians here.

The fourth one chose to settle around the Lake of Tears, whose waters had come back. The Pillars of Dimension and Mind chose their new Guardians here.

Janos and Vorador spent the remaining of their lives teaching these people everything they knew, Vorador's craft and Janos's prophecies alike. Society was slowly rebuilt. Vorador's body, unfortunately, never recovered fully from his wounds. His last efforts were dedicated to the Reaver: he plated the now useless sword with the purest gold he could find.

His life came to an end shortly after. His body aged with time, until one day he stepped into the Pillars and let their light overwhelm his flesh.

Janos, on the other hand, had more decades left of his life. He saw a new civilization come to life, and was once again the father of his race. He saw the Pillars call forth new Guardians, and personally educated them all. The new children of the vampire race filled his heart with a joy he hadn't experienced in a long time, their presence was to him even more magical than the Pillars of Nosgoth. He dedicated the remainder of his life to teaching the new generations, and became more a child himself. His body aged, but his mind stayed young.

Janos was also chosen by the Pillar of Time to be his new, rightful Guardian. In his later years, he retired to the western mountains: he had grown accustomed to the quiet mountaintops. With the help of the people who had settled there, Janos rebuilt the temple and left many writings of his life's experience. He was going to make sure no one ever forgot Kain's legacy. The temple was known to everybody as Janos Audron's temple, even though he never gave it a name. Cats roamed the temple's surroundings and populated the mountains.

What no one could have predicted, was the evolution of the new inhabitants of Nosgoth.

The boundaries between humans and vampires disappeared with Kain: in that instant, an evolution occurred. A new primordial race emerged as one uncorrupted vampiric bloodline. Those who were born human grew fangs and changed skin color: their yellow and brown warm hues reddened and united with a colder blue. The resulting violet could change in depth and darkness, but was always, uniformly and undeniably, violet. Janos and Vorador were no exception. As their blood thirst disappeared, their hunger for food came back. They were fertile again. Vorador's deep green skin faded to a weak lilac, as he was unable to gain back its full strength.

The warmth of a red hue ran through Janos Audron's veins and turned his flesh violet as well. Even his wings changed color: they turned into an ashy charcoal, and shortly after, they became pure white. The two vampires grew fingers and evolved to have hands and feet like humans. The hair on their body and faces started growing, much to Janos's fascination. Vorador's beard returned. Everyone evolved to grow white wings. Everyone but Vorador, whose strength faded with each day and could not sustain him for long.

Decades after Vorador's disappearance, Janos followed in his footsteps. He entered the Pillars and let their light into his flesh.

The gold-plated Reaver was brought inside the rebuilt temple, and a sanctuary was appositely created for it. There were statues and paintings in the Reaver's Sanctuary who narrated the efforts of the heroes behind it.

Vorador's forging.

Janos's guardianship.

Raziel's enlightenment.

Ariel's purification.

Kain's wielding.

No one would ever forget it. Well, it was hard to.

The Pillars changed their positions, and with them, so did the stars. A new constellation appeared in the night sky: it had the shape of a circle, with its brightest star shining in the middle. Some say it was twice as bright as the others. The constellation was known to everyone as the Coin, even though Janos Audron officially named it the Capricorn's Crown. He had witnessed that star's birth with his own ancient eyes.

We are all slaves to the tyrannous stars.

All but one.


End file.
